New ParkMobile system brings change, flexibility to campus parking

One of the new ParkMobile signs on the campus. The signs cover over 420 spots in seven different lots. Photo by Lindsey Jalivay

With a new semester comes many changes. One of those changes on the campus of UW-Superior is a new method of short-term parking.

On Feb. 9, Joe Eickman, the Interim Director of Public Safety at UWS, notified the campus community that the University has recently partnered with the ParkMobile app in order to streamline the short-term parkin process on campus.

“The pandemic and…breakdowns with the coin operated system,” led to the change said Trish Hegstrom-Olson, the Operations Program Associate with Parking Services. She added that the plan to switch from meters to a newer system has been in the plans since March of last year.

Covering more than 420 spaces and seven lots across the campus grounds, the new ParkMobile system eliminated the parking meters that previously dotted the landscape. Rather than slotting coins into a meter, visitors and guests without a parking permit can pay for parking on their mobile device via the ParkMobile app, online, or by calling the phone number printed on the parking signs.

Users will be able to monitor their parking session from their phone and extend time remotely if needed. Day passes can still be purchased from Parking Services for $3/day in the Public Safety Building.

Hegstrom-Olson also noted that despite the short time the system has been in place, it has been getting used. “We always have short term parkers on our campus. With our coin operation, we never could narrow down how busy our meters were.” However, Parking Services is not able to compare data between those who are in possession of a campus parking permit and those who choose to utilize a short-term parking option.

With ParkMobile, Parking Services will be provided with data that they can use to monitory busy and slow times, something Hegstrom-Olson described as exciting.

For more information about ParkMobile, or any of the services offered by UWS Parking services, contact their office at 715-394-8177 or email them at parking@uwsuper.edu.

The Parking Services office is open from 7:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. They are currently limiting access to one person or family at a time in order to ensure social distancing guidelines are being met.